Farmington’s Jennelle Thomspon, back, pulls in to third with a triple ahead of the throw to Somersworth third baseman Carlee Horning during Division III action Wednesday in Farmington. The throw was mishandled and Thompson scooted home with the game-winning run in the bottom of the seventh. (Whaley/Democrat photo)

FARMINGTON — Jennelle Thompson was slightly perturbed when her softball bat failed Wednesday’s pregame inspection by umpires. Rather then stew about what she couldn’t control, Thompson focused on what she could.

The sophomore Farmington High School standout acquainted herself with a different bat and delivered three hits, including a walk-off game-winning triple in the bottom of the seventh inning that lifted the Tigers to a 5-4 win over Division III rival Somersworth.

“I had to step back in the box a little back,” said Thompson, who used a teammate’s bat that was the same make but a little heavier. “I was just thinking hit it as hard as I can and hope it works.”

Oh, it worked.

Farmington (2-0) led 4-3 after six innings, but the Hilltoppers (0-1) tied it up in the top of the seventh. Lead-off hitter Shadai Gosselin drew a one-out walk, and quickly came around and scored on a wild pitch, stolen base and wild pitch to make it 4-4.

That set the stage for Thompson’s heroics in the bottom of the inning.

“That’s their No. 1 player and she smashed the ball,” said Somersworth coach Steven Field.

Somersworth pitcher Sydney April conferred with catcher Shadai Gosselin before the at-bat.

“At first I tried keeping it low and that didn’t really work,” April said. “So Shadai and I talked, before the inning started, and decided we’d go outside and high. But that didn’t work.”

Thompson roped the ball into the left-center field gap and just beat the throw to third base for a triple. The throw was mishandled and went to the fence, and Thompson alertly raced home with the winning run.

“I told her at the beginning it’s not your bat,” said Farmington coach Andrew Morse. “It’s how you hit, so get that out of your head. Don’t worry about them taking away your bat. And she did.”

Farmington jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first after Thompson retired Somersworth 1-2-3 on three pitches in the top of the inning.

Thompson singled to left and moved all the way to third on an error.

Morgan Moody walked and Kayla Comeau’s bunt scored Thompson from third and sent Moody all the way to third from first.

Kelsey Gregoire brought in Moody with a ground out.

The Hilltoppers tied the game up in the top of the second when Kassidy Spriggs doubled down the right field line and scored on an error on Kayla Reno’s grounder.

Reno scored from second base on two wild pitches to tie the game at 2-all.

It stayed that way until the fifth when Somersworth took its only lead. Gosselin singled, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Maddie Osbon’s solid base hit to right center.

Farmington tied it up at 3-all in the bottom of the fifth when Thompson stroked her first triple, this one to deep left field with one out. She scored on a wild pitch.

Somersworth squandered a good chance to go up a run in the top of the sixth when Reno drew a lead-off walk. She advanced to third on a passed ball and wild pitch with no outs, but was left there as Thompson (8 Ks, 2 BBs) whiffed the side to end the frame.

“We were trying to go inside,” Thompson said. “It’s harder to hit it into play and if it’s inside then they tend to back off a little.”

The Tigers went up 4-3 in the last of the sixth. Angela Connolly (3 hits) reached on an infield hit and Emily Squires safely bunted, moving Connolly to third. She scored from there on Sam Bourque’s fielder’s choice.

Osbon (RBI) and Spriggs (run) each had two hits for Somersworth, while Thompson (3 runs) and Connolly (run) had three hits apiece for the Tigers.